Module 14: Future vision project URL:
How to ensure students check online site for task sheets after being used to being emailed what was made for this course? This is a very good question, and other than looking at the changes page or log in page, there is little I can do. At the beginning of the year I will make sure and write down (and then send my one and only en masse email) about where to find the English Departments’’ website page with the link. I could also go around at the beginning of the class and do a quick visual checklist as I ask the students to “bring up the task sheet” on their screens.
What was already done before hand? What can I show with time stamp that indicates it was completed for this course? As for the URL project, I already have a department website (2 actually), so why would I make another website or blog that my admin would either not allow or have me “take down” as it does not follow the schools’ plan? That is redundant, and I am trying to balance 3 courses and make sure that my in class learning is applicable to my real classes in Singapore. As for the websites, there is nothing that I can do now on the English page as my Head and ICT Head keep deleting everything! I will read my documents once the new school begins and their guidelines have been given out. I cannot begin to tell you how mortified I was to see that all my hard work over the year was blatantly deleted without my knowledge or permission! I have now subscribed to be notified of any changes to the website (this was a new skill that I discovered was possible while working on the URL project in class). The Principal and I have had a nice email and will be discussing this in 2 weeks’ time when we both return to work. In fact the role of Head of Department is under change – review since others are having equally difficult times with Heads, and the lack of clear roles and responsibilities. During class time I also added the link for www.goodreads.com as we do use it for the entire department as part of the weekly and summer reading.
As for creating something online, I made a demo for my new unit via story bird. I also made a voice thread as another possibility. I was asked by another student if she could join me, as she had very little ICT skills and we got along quite well. Here is the link for that demo…
http://voicethread.com/?#q.b4736636.i24169048
Voice thread reflection:
Since I was interested in finding ways to keep my English class paperless, I did my 10 minutes of fame on eBooks and eReaders. I added the social media aspect by using – introducing goodreads.com. I truly had no idea what to do for my final project, but I did know that I wanted it to be applicable for my classes. In the end I teamed up with Joan (a peer who was overwhelmed by this class and dropped out, however we kept in touch) and we decided to try our hand at voice thread. We decided to do a book trailer – which is a more digital way of having a book talk or book report.
Joan is moving into the library and has less ICT experience than me. I have always felt myself to be proficient, but I have little hands-on experience with a variety of tools that I ask my students to use. I often assume that they already know how the program works, have been taught how to do it in either IT class or primary, and therefore I am not needed to teach it to them. Creating a voice thread would be therefore new to both of us.
Joan and I used my laptop as it is more current and I already had a voice thread account from school (I needed to sign up in order to access my students’ work). Next we needed to decide on a book that we have both read, and the simple answer was Harry Potter. Next we went onto voice thread and got started. As Joan typed up a blurb, I started on Google images looking for pictures of the novels cover and movie stills. Next we started uploading and putting the slides in order. I then discovered that there is a space for a title AND a website link! I thought that was amazing! I got slightly side tracked, and started multiple tabs to look for some cool links. Joan and I took turns reading our Harry Potter blurb, and after a few trial and errors with the webcam, microphone, and giggles while reading we figured it out! We ran through it a few times and it looked great. I then emailed it out to both Joan and my Hotmail account. Joan wanted the voice thread to be a surprise, so I kept the link for the Moodle page for another day.
Overall I am still loving this, as I can put one of these things together no problem. I am still learning about the editing and publishing finishes that I can do, but the website is very user friendly and there isn’t any way for me to completely butcher a voice thread. Joan is still working on her ICT jargon and when or how she can use this in her library. I suggested that she do this with a class, or as an extracurricular or volunteer project once she gets on her feet in her new job – library. I have an assignment I can use this with, with my Year 7’s – Canadian Grade 6’s (Summer Reading Book Review). I now feel even more excited and confident in this unit, as I now have some firsthand knowledge and experience with the program. I can now raise the bar for my students! They are SO going to have to have links and multiple pictures! This has been a great learning experience for me, and I look forward to doing this once more – with even more panache than usual come August!